Shirring presser-foot for sewing machines



April. 19, 1955 s. ROSENBERG 2,706,455

SHIRRING PRESSER-FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 20, 1954 SEYMOUR ROSENBERG INVENTOR ATTORNILIY United States Patent SHIRRING PRESSER-FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Seymour Rosenberg, Far Rockaway, N. Y. Application July 20, 1954, Serial No. 444,476 1 Claim. (Cl. 112-134) This invention relates to improvements in presser feet for sewing machines and more particularly to a presserfoot used to connect two sections of fabric and produce shirring.

An object of this invention is to provide a two-level resser-foot comprising a main body including a lower toe portion adapted to rest on the feed-dog of the sewing machine and having a vertically movable heel portion forming part of the presser-foot and which may be adjusted vertically so as not to rest on the feed-dog and so as to provide a pocket between the feed-dog and the presser-foot which permits accumulation of a quantity of the fabric below the heel portion. This accumulated fabric is then fed only when the accumulation is sufficient to come into contacting relation with the feed-dog and fed thereby.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for adjusting the vertically movable heel portion of the presser-foot to vary the shirring during operation of the sewing machine and while the degree of shirring is under the control of the operator.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim which forms part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the resser-foot.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Figure 4, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the resser-foot 'shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the presser-foot removed from the presser-foot bar.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the presser-foot.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an auxiliary or shirring control foot, drawn on an enlarged scale.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 indicates a resser-foot having a shank 11 which is suitably adapted at its upper end to fit the lower end of a presser-foot bar 12. The presser-foot 10 may be secured to the bar 12 by a screw 13 threaded into the bar.

As shown in Figure 2, the shank 11 has a two-level foot 14 including a heel portion 15 which is raised above the toe portion 16. The heel portion 15 has a vertical through slot 17 at its lower face.

A right-angular auxiliary or shirring control foot section 19 has an upright side slidably mounted in the slot 17 and the other side horizontally positioned below the heel portion 15.

The shank 11 has a horizontal extension 20 preferably of rectangular cross-section and positioned above the foot 14. The extension 20 has an upright through opening 21 preferably of circular cross-section and positioned in superposed relation with the foot 14. The heel portion 15 has an opening 21' in alignment with the opening 21.

A rod-like supporting member 23 is slidably mounted in the openings 21 and 21' and has a ball-shaped upper end 24 extending into a threaded horizontal through opening 25 in the shank extension 20. The supporting member 23 is suitably fixed to the horizontal side of the auxiliary foot section 19.

A compression coil spring 27 is mounted on the rodlike supporting member 23 between the ball-shaped end 2,706,455 Patented Apr. 19, 1955 ice 24 and the upper face of the heel portion 15 and serves to raise the auxiliary or shirring control foot section 19 away from the feed-dog 29. This forms a pocket 30 between the auxiliary or shirring control foot section 19 and the feed-dog 29, where the fabric being stitched accumulates until a suflicient number of layers or gathers fill up the pocket and permits the feed-dog 29 to feed a gathered or shirred product used in garment making.

A threaded adjusting screw 32 is mounted in the threaded opening 25. The screw 32 has a tapering end portion 33 in contact with the upper portion of the ballshaped upper end 24 of the supporting member 23.

Rotation of the adjusting screw 32 causes the supporting member 23 and the auxiliary presser-foot section to be lowered in direction of the feed-dog to a limited degree so as to limit the capacity or size of the pocket 30.

It is to be noted that the shank extension 20 is elongated and horizontally positioned in front of the shank and in right-angular relation with the line of stitching so as to bring the head of the adjusting screw in far re moved relation from the resser-foot for ease in manually raising and lowering the auxiliary or shirring control presser-foot section to permit variation of the shirring during operation of the sewing machine.

It will thus be seen that with my improved two-level presser-foot the fabric layers pass under the heel portion of the presser-foot to give a gathering or shirring effect without the necessity of a movable blade and that my presser-foot can simultaneously connect two sections of fabric and produce shirring in a single operation and while the degree of shirring is under the control of the operator.

Figures 4 and 5 show a needle hole 35 in the heel portion 15 for a needle 36. The needle hole 35 is also partly visible in the toe portion 16.

Figures 3 and 4 show a hemming section 37 forming part of the resser-foot and which serves for twice turning over an edge of the upper section of fabric to form a hem. The presser-foot 10 also comprises an inclined supporting plate 38 for the upper section of fabric. The lower section of fabric is guided below the plate 38.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a shirring resser-foot for sewing machines having a needle and a feed-dog, a shank integral with a two-level foot including a heel portion raised above the toe portion, said heel portion having a vertical through slot at its lower face, a right-angular auxiliary foot section having an upright side slidably mounted in said slot and the other side horizontally positioned below said heel portion, said shank having an extension, a rod-like supporting member slidably mounted in said shank extension and having a ball-shaped upper end, the lower end portion of said supporting member being fixed to said hori zontal side of said auxiliary foot section, a coil spring mounted on said supporting member between said ballshaped end and the upper face of said heel portion of said presser-foot serving to raise said auxiliary foot member away from said feed-dog, and a threaded adjusting screw mounted horizontally in said shank extension and having a tapering end portion in contact with the upper portion of said ball-shaped upper end, whereby rotation of said adjusting screw will cause said supporting member and said auxiliary presser-foot section to be lowered in direction of said feed-dog to a limited degree so as to provide a pocket between said auxiliary presser-foot section and said feed-dog.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,718,889 Berger June 25, 1929 1,943,203 Chudner Jan. 9, 1934 2,481,175 Tamburro Sept. 6, 1949 2,671,422 Tamburro et al. Mar. 9, 1954 

